Marie Antoinette was born in Austria, a daughter of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. She was born on the same day as the famous earthquake of Lisbon.

As with most royal daughters, Marie Antoinette was promised in marriage in order build a diplomatic alliance between her birth family and the family of her husband. Marie Antoinette married the French dauphin, Louis, grandson of Louis XV of France, in 1770. He ascended the throne in 1774 as Louis XVI.

Marie Antoinette, formerly welcomed, now was vilified for her spending habits and opposition to reforms. The 1785-86 Affair of the Diamond Necklace, a scandal in which she was accused of having an affair with a cardinal in order to obtain a costly diamond necklace, further discredited her and reflected on the monarchy.

After the Bastille was stormed on July 14, 1789, the queen urged the king to resist the Assembly's reforms, making her even more unpopular, and leading to the attribution to her of the remark, "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!" -- "Let them eat cake!" In October, 1789, the royal couple were forced to move to Paris.

Reportedly planned by Marie Antoinette, the escape of the royal couple from Paris was stopped at Varennes on October 21, 1791. Imprisoned with the king, Marie Antoinette continued to plot. She hoped for foreign intervention to end the revolution and free the royal family. She urged her brother, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, to intervene, and supported a declaration of war against Austria in April, 1792, which she hoped would result in the defeat of France.

Her unpopularity helped lead to the overthrow of the monarchy when Parisiennes stormed the Tuileries palace on Aug. 10, 1792, followed by the establishment of the First French Republic in September. The family was imprisoned in the Temple on August 13, 1792, and moved to the Conciergie on Autust 1, 1793. There were several attempts to escape, but all failed.

Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year. She was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war.

Marie Antionettes diamond earrings.

A bit about her...

Marie Antoinette was born in Austria, a daughter of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. She was born on the same day as the famous earthquake of Lisbon.

As with most royal daughters, Marie Antoinette was promised in marriage in order build a diplomatic alliance between her birth family and the family of her husband. Marie Antoinette married the French dauphin, Louis, grandson of Louis XV of France, in 1770. He ascended the throne in 1774 as Louis XVI.

Marie Antoinette, formerly welcomed, now was vilified for her spending habits and opposition to reforms. The 1785-86 Affair of the Diamond Necklace, a scandal in which she was accused of having an affair with a cardinal in order to obtain a costly diamond necklace, further discredited her and reflected on the monarchy.

After the Bastille was stormed on July 14, 1789, the queen urged the king to resist the Assembly's reforms, making her even more unpopular, and leading to the attribution to her of the remark, "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!" -- "Let them eat cake!" In October, 1789, the royal couple were forced to move to Paris.

Reportedly planned by Marie Antoinette, the escape of the royal couple from Paris was stopped at Varennes on October 21, 1791. Imprisoned with the king, Marie Antoinette continued to plot. She hoped for foreign intervention to end the revolution and free the royal family. She urged her brother, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, to intervene, and supported a declaration of war against Austria in April, 1792, which she hoped would result in the defeat of France.

Her unpopularity helped lead to the overthrow of the monarchy when Parisiennes stormed the Tuileries palace on Aug. 10, 1792, followed by the establishment of the First French Republic in September. The family was imprisoned in the Temple on August 13, 1792, and moved to the Conciergie on Autust 1, 1793. There were several attempts to escape, but all failed.

Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year. She was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war.

Princess Madeleine of Swedens engagement ring (WE ARE SO HAPPY FOR HER) from the American husband to be on 8th of June 2013 (I shall be there)...Chris O´Neill..they are currently residing in New York...

Princess Madeleine of Swedens engagement ring (WE ARE SO HAPPY FOR HER) from the American husband to be on 8th of June 2013 (I shall be there)...Chris O´Neill..they are currently residing in New York...

The Queens diamond jubilee...how amazing she is! :-) I believe her jewelry collection is rather unmatched...as many very amazing precious stone mines, especially sapphire mines, have faded in time so there is not much left of those amazing stones...I guess royals born long time agao were lucky when it comes to the stones natural resources in comparison to now. The entire precious stone industry is all different from before, even the cuts etc. It would be very enchanting to be able to travel back in time to get a unique huge au natural amazing stone and design a beautiful piece today ;-)

The Queens diamond jubilee...how amazing she is! :-) I believe her jewelry collection is rather unmatched...as many very amazing precious stone mines, especially sapphire mines, have faded in time so there is not much left of those amazing stones...I guess royals born long time agao were lucky when it comes to the stones natural resources in comparison to now. The entire precious stone industry is all different from before, even the cuts etc. It would be very enchanting to be able to travel back in time to get a unique huge au natural amazing stone and design a beautiful piece today ;-)

One can say that there is a "difference" between "gemstones" and "precious gemstones"...as for the gemstones can include some so called semi-precious stones such as opal, aquamarine, amethyst, topaz etc. these are usually much more into the "healing" business one can say..as for "precious gemstones" there are the main 4, diamonds, sapphires, rubys, emeralds...oh I might have forgot something but...this is about it...

..and when purchasing precious gemstones, which I do at times, as I do design some precious stoned jewelry as kind of an hobby...Oh why couldnt I hobby on with collecting stamps instead...yeah...I also wondered once ;-)

So when purchasing one looks at many things such as the stones clarity, carat, color, cut etc...and there is also several charts..for example diamonds are the hardest material, so it is placed at the top of the scale ie 10, then comes sapphire placed at 9 etc...its the hardness of the stone on a so called Mohs scale...so..designing or even purchasing precious jewelry is an entire science and making mistakes is (has been for me aswell) very costly...but when I look back today...I wouldnt have had it any other way than how it happened so I managed to learn this special art as I learnt alot and Im thankful...

So...some colors of both semi-precious and precious stones in the world...

One can say that there is a "difference" between "gemstones" and "precious gemstones"...as for the gemstones can include some so called semi-precious stones such as opal, aquamarine, amethyst, topaz etc. these are usually much more into the "healing" business one can say..as for "precious gemstones" there are the main 4, diamonds, sapphires, rubys, emeralds...oh I might have forgot something but...this is about it...

..and when purchasing precious gemstones, which I do at times, as I do design some precious stoned jewelry as kind of an hobby...Oh why couldnt I hobby on with collecting stamps instead...yeah...I also wondered once ;-)

So when purchasing one looks at many things such as the stones clarity, carat, color, cut etc...and there is also several charts..for example diamonds are the hardest material, so it is placed at the top of the scale ie 10, then comes sapphire placed at 9 etc...its the hardness of the stone on a so called Mohs scale...so..designing or even purchasing precious jewelry is an entire science and making mistakes is (has been for me aswell) very costly...but when I look back today...I wouldnt have had it any other way than how it happened so I managed to learn this special art as I learnt alot and Im thankful...

So...some colors of both semi-precious and precious stones in the world...

Top Row, Left to Right: Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja (Sonja's originally belonged to King Harald's mother, and she gave it to Haakon when he proposed to Mette-Marit); Sarah, Duchess of York; Princess Mathilde; Crown Princess Mary

Bottom Row, Left to Right: Princess Diana of Orléans; Clotilde, Princess of Venice and Piedmont; Princess Alexandra, now Countess of Frederiksborg (from her first marriage to Prince Joachim); Princess Märtha Louise

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Top Row, Left to Right: Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja (Sonja's originally belonged to King Harald's mother, and she gave it to Haakon when he proposed to Mette-Marit); Sarah, Duchess of York; Princess Mathilde; Crown Princess Mary

Bottom Row, Left to Right: Princess Diana of Orléans; Clotilde, Princess of Venice and Piedmont; Princess Alexandra, now Countess of Frederiksborg (from her first marriage to Prince Joachim); Princess Märtha Louise

Left to Right: Princess Madeleine (given to her in her first and nnow cancelled engagement with a man who behaved inappropriately); Crown Princess Victoria; Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark; Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg; Lady Sarah Chatto...

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Left to Right: Princess Madeleine (given to her in her first and nnow cancelled engagement with a man who behaved inappropriately); Crown Princess Victoria; Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark; Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg; Lady Sarah Chatto...

The 'Lyte Jewel' is in fact an enamelled gold locket. The openwork cover, set with diamonds, bears the royal monogram 'IR' (Latin, Iacobus Rex) for King James, the first Stuart king of England (reigned 1603-25), and contains within his portrait, by the great miniature painter Nicholas Hillard (?1547-1619).

The 'Lyte Jewel' is in fact an enamelled gold locket. The openwork cover, set with diamonds, bears the royal monogram 'IR' (Latin, Iacobus Rex) for King James, the first Stuart king of England (reigned 1603-25), and contains within his portrait, by the great miniature painter Nicholas Hillard (?1547-1619).